Container



Jan. 18, 1944. E, Q "THEN 2,339,301

CONTAINER Filed June 6, 1941 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 18, 1944 CONTAINEREdward 0. Then, Newark, N. J., assignor to American Can Company, NewYork, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 6, 1941,Serial No. 396,931

3 Claims. (01. 220-54) This invention relates to a sheet metal canorcontainer having a tearing strip set off by score lines cut in the outerwall fold of a body extension and has particular reference to alongitudinal soldered lock seam extending between the end closuremembers which are secured to the body wall and to the body extension toprovide a body of increased strength, the removal of the tearing stripproviding a reclosure for the container.

Most tearing, strip cans require that the can be reclosed after openingand such reclosure requires that the opened can be formed to receive theremoved cover. There are two general types of 'reclosure tearing stripcans. The first type relates to a separate collar member which isdisposed inside of the can and which provides a seat for the removedcover. In the second type of reclosure can, such as is illustratedfor-example in theW. E. Burns United States Patent 1,615,930, issuedFebruary 1, 1927, the body wall is folded on itself at the upper end ofthe can to provide a three-wall structure. This type of can requiresthat the three-wall fold of the can body he lapped at the side seam andsoldered; only that portion of the body wall which extends below thefolded section having a locked side seam.

The present invention relates to a construction of a can in which thecan body wall proper is fully locked and soldered so that the lock seamfeature extends between the ends of the can. Such a can also is providedwith an integral folded body extension which, unlike the Burns can, doesnot affect the full locking side seam principle. The body extension inthe instant can is cut away adjacent the side seam and the usual solderapplying operation may be utilized in the manufacture of the can sincethe cut-away body extension walls do not interfere with the applicationof solder to the side seam.

An object of the invention is the provision of a tearing strip containerhaving a fully locked body, the locked side seam of which extends fromone end of the can to the other to provide increased strength for thebody, such a can having an additional double wall body extensionadjacent its upper end to constitute an integral folded area of triplethickness at the upper end of the A still further object of theinvention is the provision of a can of the character described whereinthe tearing strip tongue of the can is formed so that it does not extendacross the locked side seam, this feature cooperating with the cut-awayportions of the double wall body extension to assist in soldering of thecan and also providing for easier winding of the tongue on the key whichis used for opening the can, as well as securing a saving on materialfor forming the tongue which may be made relatively smaller.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealed container embodying theinstant'invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of upper end portions of a fiatbody blank from which the container body is made;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of the main body wall and thefolded body extension and showing a turned back tearing tongue adjacent.th longitudinal joint, as viewed along the line 33 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of opposite upper ends of thebodyblank shown in Fig. 2 after being folded and after the blank hasbeen formed into tubular shape and illustrating lap projections extendedfrom the inner wall at the joint just prior to having the hooked edgesinterlocked;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary face view of'the portion of the container bodyshown in Fig. 4 after the upper ends of the body have been joined into alocked side seam and showing the cut-away andtlapped wall fold adjacentthe longitudinal JOln r Fig. 6 is a top plan detail of the upper'end ofthe container body at the seam section; and

Fig. 7 is a detail in vertical section taken through the top double seamand th adjacent folded body wall of the sealed container.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates acylindrical sheet metal container ll (Fig. 1) which includes a tubularbody 12, the edges of which are joined together in a longitudinal fullylocked side seam l3. The body also has as an integral part, acircumferentially folded double wall extension [4 which is disposedadjacent its upper end. Top and bottom end closures l5, [6 are securedto in double seam endjoints l1,

the body The body [2 is produced from a flat body blank l8 (Fig. 2);Such body blanks may be uncoated on one or both sides or printed orlithographed as in decorated containers. The container body blank [8 iformed with a tearing tongue l9 at one edge of the blank, and a lapprojection 22 is spaced below the tongue at the same edge. A lapprojection 23 is formed on the opposite edge of the body blank.

The body blank comprises a major body wall section 24, an intermediatebody wall extension 25 and an outer wall extension 26.. The lapprojections 22 and 23 extend upwardly from the body wall section 24 andare notched or slit in a suitable manner as at 21, 23. This provides fora distinct line of bend or fold 29 between the major body Wall section24 and the intermediate wall extension 25. A line of bend or fold 3!which is parallel to the line of bend 29 designates the boundary betweenthe sections 25 and A so e in 2 s ou r ss e chlap p o ction 22, 23 for apurpose hereinafter described. Th outer wall extension 26 has parallelscore lines 33 which set oil a teari strip 34. This tearing strip at oneedge of the blank terminates in the tearing tongue [9, A V-shaped notch35 is wt i t eed e of. the wa extension 26 n h Side he tearin to u t eape of each notch leading directly into the Score line. Lines of bend3B, 31 set off opposite marginal edges 38, 39 of the body blank. section24.

Figure 4 of the drawing illustrates the upper p ion f th wo edges or thebody blank [3 after the major body section 24 has been formed intotubular sh pe and after the intermediate and outer wall extensions 25and 26 have been folded along the lines of bend 29, 3| and have beenshaped into the double wall extension Hi. This view also shows how theintermediate and outer wall extensions are cut away at the lone-.

gitudinal seam region leaving the top of the lap p ojections 22 and 23in the same horizontal plane as the top of the outermost wall 28.

The marginal edge 33 is folded inwardly to form the outer hook sectionfor the lock seam of the container body. The edge portion 39 is foldedoutwardly to form the inner hook of the seam. The tongue [3, at thistime has been folds ed inwardly against the outermost wall extension 26where it is parallel with the outer Wall. To avoid crystallizing of thestock this bent section may be formed as an openloop.

Such a tearing tongue may be shorter in length 1 than the usual formsince it is turned back in th direction for Winding off the tearingstrip. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 4 that a rolling orsimilar operation has been performed on the major body wall surface 24so. that this body wall above a line of depression 40 has been necked into provide a depressed pocket t]. for a purpose hereinafter described,The side seam section, however; is not depressed but remains unaltered.

The hook sections, of the marginal edges 33.,

39 upon being interlocked, when the can body is fully formed, constitutethe longitudinal lock seam [3. As will be explained hereinafter such aseam extends. substantially the full body height of the container. Atsuch completion of the can body, the hook sections of the side seam are.

bumped down in the u u manne o r vide the completely formed look; seam,It i prefer,- able, at such abumping operationtov also squeeze thedouble Wall extension sections 25, 25 together;

so that they fully seat in the pocket 4| as best seen in Fig. 1. When soformed the exterior surface of the outermost wall is flush with theouter surface of the body wall proper.

Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing show how the opposite ends of the outermostwall extension 26 in the fully bumped container body overlap upon thelap projections 22 and 23 adjacent the longitudinal side seam. Such acontainer body is now ready for soldering of the side seam and sealingof the body extension edges. Fluxing and soldering of the longitudinalside seam may be performed in the usual manner. The solder is usuallyapplied to the exterior of the body by a solder roll and theconstruction of the fully bumped container which includes a continuousflush surface along the side seam permits such application. The openspace between adjacent edges of the cut-out wall extensions 25, 26together with the space afforded by the turnedback tongue it affordsunrestricted access to the seam crack by the soldering roller. Such asolder line therefore extends as an unbroken bond for the full length ofthe lock seam on the container body wall. At the same time the solderenters between the ed es at the cut-away body wall extensions and bondssuch walls together and secures these walls -to the container body wallin a hermetic seam.

The fully soldered container body is now ready to receive its bottom end16 (Fig. 1). Such a body may be flanged in the conventional way,whereupon the bottom is double seamed or otherwise secured in place toform the end seam N. This. prepares the can for receiving its contents.

When the container is filled with its contents, the top end closure I5is double seamed or otherwise secured to the upper end of the outermostwall extension 26 in the end seam [1. For con venience in Opening, aslotted key 43 may be secured to the cover !5 by Welding or in otherdesired manner.

When the container is to be opened, the tearing strip 34 may be removedby engagement of the slotted key 43 with the shortened, turned backtearing tongue l9. By reason of the tongue being turned back in thewinding off direction only a partial turn of the key, after it has beenapplied, sumces to fully catch the tearing strip so that it is easilybroken along the score lines.

Removal of the tearing strip 34 from the outermost wall extension opensthe container and leaves only the lap projections 22, 23 as a connectionwith the opened container. Raising the cover at the opposite side andbending the lap projections 22, 23 at the score lines 32 fractures theprojections and completely separates the cover'from the openedcontainer. The sepagated cover thereafter serves as a reclosure mem- Inapplying the reclQsure the severed marginal portion of the outermostwall. extension 26, which remains secured to the cover I5, frictionallyengages with the outer surface of the intermediate wall extension 25 asan exterior slipv closure. At the same time a depending annular wall,44' of the cover frictionally engages inside of the smooth body wall 24of the opened container with an interior friction fit.

It is thought that the inventionv and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made. in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A metallic container having a side seam in the body thereof,comprising a tubular body having a peripherally extending integralfolded wall area of triple thickness adjacent its upper end, said foldedwall area having its opposite end portions spaced peripherally from oneanother on opposite sides of said side seam, the radially outermost wallportion of said folded body wall area having a tearing strip set off byscore lines, and end closure secured to said radially outermost wallportion in an end scam, the side seam of said body comprising acontinuous longitudinal lock seam extending between said adjacentperipherally spaced end portions of said folded area to said end seam tostrengthen the body, said tearing strip being removable to open thecontainer, whereby said end closure with its attached radially outermostbody wall portion provides a reclosure member having frictionalengagement with the opened container body.

2. A sealed metallic container having a side scam in the body thereof,comprising a tubular body having at its upper end a peripherallyextending integral folded wall area of triple thickness, said foldedwall area having its opposite end portions spaced peripherally from oneanother on opposite sides of said side seam, the radially outermost wallportion of said folded body wall area having a tearing strip set ofi byscore lines and terminating in a tongue, a bottom end closure secured tothe lower end of said body, a top end closure secured to said radiallyoutermost wall portion in an end scam, the side seam of said bodycomprising a continuous longitudinal secured lock seam extending betweenthe top and bottom end closures and between said adjacent peripherallyspaced end portions of said folded area to strengthen the body, aplurality of upstanding projections on said body wal1 adjacent saidfolded area, said projections being overlapped and included in said endseam and said tongue being bent back away from said seam, said tearingstrip being removable to open the container, whereby said top endclosure with its attached radially outermost body wall extensionprovides a reclosure member having frictional engagement with saidtubular body wall and said body extension.

3. A metallic container, comprising a tubular body having a longitudinallock side seam, a circumferentially extending integral folded wall areaof triple thickness at the upper end of said body, said folded wall areahaving its opposite end portions spaced peripherally from one another onopposite sides of said side seam, the radially outermost wall portion ofsaid folded body wall area having a tearing strip set off by scorelines, a plurality of upstanding overlapped projections on said bodywall adjacent said folded area, a bottom end closure secured to thelower end of said body and a top end closure sestrengthen the body, saidtearing strip being removable to open the container, whereby said endclosure with its attached radially outermost body wall extensionprovides a reclosure member having frictional engagement with the opened40 container.

EDWARD 0. THEN.

